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Friday, June 13, 2014

Everyone’s path is different. Stop comparing.

I’ve been on
this “trying to be published” trail for a while now. I started writing
seriously in 2009, went to my first conference in 2011 and since The Writer’s
Voice in 2012, I’ve been closely following many writer’s journeys, all the
while hoping I wasn’t too far behind the ones that “made it.”

I’ve seen
writers go from stuck in the query trenches, to agented, to amazing book deal
in a matter of weeks.

I’ve also
seen authors sign with an agent, followed by months of silence. Sometimes those
authors keep fighting alongside their agents for years, some end up with book
deals out of it. Some don’t.

I’ve seen an
author go from big name agent to self-publishing on her own (to amazon best
seller lists and eventually a big deal for one of her titles)

And of course, there are writers like me that come out with a book deal without an agent.

If there is
one thing I’ve learned during this whole process, it’s that some paths are
harder, some take longer, some make you feel more affirmed, but how you find
your way doesn’t matter. It never has.

Are some writer’s
careers better than others? Sure. But that doesn’t mean the “others” don’t have
amazing careers, or didn’t get what they were hoping for all along. And it
definitely doesn’t mean they chose the wrong path.

Not all
successful writers start out with the traditional agent and big book deal. Some
start out by self-publishing. Some by small press. Some sell three books before
they find one that hits the market with a splash.

I’ve been
agent hunting for years now, with three different novels. I still don’t have an
agent. I know that my path isn’t overly traditional, but that’s okay. I’m still
fighting for that agent, but I’m sincerely happy with the publisher I found on
my own. I know that if I never sign with an agent, I can still have an
incredible career.

If you’ve
been struggling in those trenches for what feels like forever, keep your head
up. The ones who have the strength to keep fighting will make it out one way or
another.

It’s okay if you never find an agent.

It’s okay if
you do but your book doesn’t sell.

It’s okay if
you spend years and years trudging through while others find their way before
you. You WILL get there.

It’s okay no
matter what happens because there are no dead ends. There is always a new path
to choose. Be brave enough to take it.